Rotary well-boring apparatus



W. w. WILSON ROTARY WELL BORING APPARATUS- March 10, 1931.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 5, 1926 Inpen for. Mil/[0272. Mei-5X67. Zfli/sa/Z March 10, 1931. w w w so 1,795,693

RdTARY WELL BORING APPARATUS v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1926 f m m I T 2017/1211. UFJJ/EEZIlI/V/Q ww Rh kll Patented Mar. 10, 193i v 'A'TEN'T OFFICE UNITED STATES P v p wrnnnm wnns'rna wms'ou, or Los menms, cenmoml norAnr-wELL-Bonme Arrm'rus' -Applicatimi flled October 5, 1926. Serial No. 139,590.

This invention has-particularly to do with rated in the first mentioned type of strata-- hydraulic rotary drilling apparatus, and ture. r more's'p'ecifically with the rotary table of For the purpose of describing in'detail one such apparatus. In rotary drilling rigs the concreteembodiment of the invention, I-rerotary table is usually, provided for the pur-I fer't'othe accompanying drawings, in which: pose of rotating the drill stem or pipe, ro- Fig. 1 is a plan of my improved rotary aptary connection between the table and the paratus; drill pipe being efiected usually by means of Fig. 2 is a section and elevation taken as driving bushings. Such rotary tables usually indicated by line 2-2 on Fig; 1;

10 have also some provision for taking pipe-v Fig. 3 1s a plan of a drive ushing; and;

. supporting slips. In some forms of these deig 4 s a longitudinal'central section of vices the pipe supporting slips are inserted e S me. and supported by the rotary table proper, In the accompanying drawings and in the or a, art f'the rotary table proper; and fOllOWll'lg specification, I (10 110i] attempt t0 1:, where that is the case it has been necessary g' 1I1t0 detail regarding Certain P r Of the to disconnectthe two parts of the rotary tapparatus which are common inthe art and 1 1 h ld th li u o tin t tationary, are more or less universal to all devices of and rotate the remaining part of th t bl the character here described. For instance,

for the purpose of screwing or unscrewing the mountlng of the apparatus on skids or 4 20 pipe. In other types of rotary table strucills, and the initial drive mechanism'for the 05 ture there is'an inner stationary art about rotary a le are things which are well known. which the table proper rotates; an this inner n the p r d f rm of vi e shown in stationary part is constructed to receivesuph r wlngs a stationary base member B ti li a may be mounted on any suitable timbers T.

25 Ordinarily in the second-mentioned type h s base member has a central up-standing the inner stationary part comesupflush with 1111b sJh9$e Outer yl udrib surface, as the upper surface of the'table proper; so that Shown at ff d a cylindric bearing surth li ill ually oj t, above th face for the-rotary table 12. Immediately per surface of the table, and the drive bushurr unding the lower part of hub 10 and V project above the upper resting on the base flange there iS a bfi.1

1 corresponding accomplishments "which will face of the'tablef*These ,described relative ing n 14 on which h bearing rolls/H315 arrangements and placementshf"the slipsari and 12 carnes P bearmg and drive bushings are also true of the first mnnmg upon the rolers' Above is, V, bearing ring lfi thetable hasa cylindric bearmemu'led type Among other obJectS and ing surface 17 whichrotates against the cyso x p l lindric bearing surface 11 ofhub 10. The i l i an f of my table is held down to its proper position on Vellum! Provlde g t y m il i the bearings by a hold-down ring 18 which bothfihe P 1 p y m 511p? ail 3 9 m be structurally tied to the base B in any bushings may be set inoperative posit on and n p l PP, surface of lbrackets 19, one of which is shown at the table; and I prefer t I CPI'P I' Q' P right handipart ofFig. 2. Near its outer vislons 1n the second mentl ned typ of s u periphery and on its under 'face the table ture, although it will be understood that the hasgear teeth 20 which mesh'with a driving 5 same or similar provisions may be incorpopinion 21 mounted on driveshaft 22. One

suitable manner, as for instance by the 35 H a stt onaiy periphery for the whole device an he zable is held down by application of f at its upper surface and at its outer 01; he R ng 18 may preferably be subs a i. -llv l. shap -i in section, with a part 18a *rl. 9' n the edge of the table and with t' one" put 18 engaging in. an annular ,r.o e 180, the o ter edge or the groove beng form l by a small annular rib lSfl'. The

rn g and table are thus held against any subntial re.ati\'e radial di placement, alti 0 1x1 1 '1; be. understo d that it is not the p' rose to obtain any radial hearing beyee': H e r g and the tab e for the purpose 0- cente 'ief the iable. l sza lly part 18/) of Ll ring -vll fit loosely i h groove 180 s ustrated. The acuai hold-down bearirg srfai-e is on l3l1(- surface at the bottom of th-. groove 180.

The upper surface S of the table stands considerably above the upper surface S1 of the base hub 10, substantially as shown in the drawings: and the table has a part that overhangs the outer periphery of hub 10, as is clearly shown in the section at :ihr left in Fig. 2. In the upper portion 1- t i overhanging part bushing-engaging rcus 26 are formed, these recesses pre erably r .n.

ing bottoms 27 within the table so th 1 when the bushing is in place it V]l b: supported by the table and not allou ed to diop down to be supported by.itlg stationary hub 10. Near its outer periphery andunder. the overhanging part 25 the bushing 10 has an annular drainage groove 28, and a depending annular flange 29 projects from the table into groove 28 as illustrated. One face of this ann 2 a1 flange, preferably its outer 'fact may postg usu'ally "known be provided with a groove 30 which will retard overflow or splash of liquid to the outer bcariiigsurface 11 of the hub. The purpose and function of groove 28 is to catch all liquid, such as water or mud or slush, which may fall upon the top of the bushing or the top of the table, and which would otherwise find its way to the bearings. For this purpose grocve 28 is provided with drainage holes 31 which lead downwardly through hub 10 so that any such liquid is discharged to a point below the apparatus. It will be seen that the general arrangement I hereby "describe, involving the relative placement of the table so that it may-overhang the stationary base, facilitates very much the effective arrangement of the drainage groove to effectually catch and carry off all the liquids or other foreign material which miglt otherwise find its way to the rotary bearings.

To lubricate the bearing surfaces 11, 17 the airfare 17 may preferably be provided with an annular oil groove 35 fed by channels 36 from a lubricant pocket 37 in the upper face of table 12. This lubricant pocket may well he an annular channel as shown in Fig. 1, although not necessarily so. In practice, channel 37 may be filled with some lubricant absorbing material which will deliver the lubricant slowly through channels 36 to the channel 35 and thus to the bearing surfaces 11. 17. The lubricant that flows down away from surfar-r 17 then flows downwardly along surface 11 and finds its way to the bearing ollers 15. In flowing down surface 11 the lubricant will flow into a small annular pocket 40 which is formed between surface 11 and the lip ll of bearing ring 14. Any dirt or grit thus has an opportunity to settle and the clear lubricant thus flows over lip 41 to lubricate the roller hearing. The roller bearing is protected from the outside by a depending flange 42 of the table which hangs down over the outer face of lower ring 1 1; and is also protected against entry of fueign substances by the interlocking formu tions 43 of the bearing rings 14 'and 6. is important in devices of the charactw- .ii described that all bearing surfaces 111 be plzitfl'icbl as fully as possible f mud. w ai -r. slush, etc., all of which a e more or lfis.

1 i inuously present about a derrick floor.

An outward extension 13a of base flange l forms an annular lubricant carrying pan surrounding the roller bearing and into which pinion 21 dips for its lubrication. The spent lgbricant may finally overflow the upper ed go o 13a.

The upper face of table 12-is provided with the usual sockets 4:5 to receive the posts for dr'uing tongs or the like (these posts are usually known as go-around posts) and stationary hub 10 is likewise provided with a socket or sockets 46 to receive stationary as hold-back posts, for engaging and holding tongs or similar apparatus. It is unnecessary to describe how these sockets and their corresponding posts are used for the purpose of setting up or breaking joints, as that will be well understood. It will be seen that my arrangement provides a very ready and convenient mounting at these posts and provides for the'immediate use of either one ,or both of them Without any necessity ofinaking any adj ustments or changesjnthe table mechanism.

The central base hub 10 has a central downwardly tapering opening 50 adapted to receive wedge slips of any usual kind, the position of the slips being indicated by the dotted lines at 51 in Fig. 2. These slips are usually made. of such size with relation to the size of opening 50 and the size of the pipe that their IOU upper ends, or handles which are usually applied to their upper ends, will project above the upper surface S1 of the stationary hub; but in my construction the upper surface S of table 12-is sufficiently above surface S-l that the uppermost parts of the slips will be; below surface S. Consequently the combined use of the slips and pipe elevators is greatly facilitated as an elevator ma rest upon the upper surface of the table witliout interfering with the slips. In the ordinary construction,

where the slips project above ,the'upper surface of the table, they must be removed before an elevator can be rested on the table.

' Likewise the drive bushings. are made to' rest entirely below, or substantially entirely below the table surface S. In Figs. 3' and 4 I show a form of drive bushing suitable for Y the purposes. Drive bushings used in rotary ing driven by engagement with a pin or post.

I In my preferred constructionI provide the before mentioned recesses 26 in the inner periphery of the table and I provide the drive bushing flanges 54 with corresponding lugs v 55 to engage in those recesses. When the drive bushing is in position, as shown in dotted lines in' Fig. 2, its upper surface is preferably either flush with or below table surface S, and the drive bushing is supported by the engagement of lugs 55 with bottoms 27 p of recesses 26'; so that there is no projectionof the bushings above the top of the tableand also the bushings do not at any place rest upon the stationary base or its central stationary hub 10. Preferably the sleeve portions 52 of the bushings will be of such size that although they extend down through hub opening 50, they do not at any place bear upon the hub. I

The lower end of the central opening in the hub may be flared downwardl as shown at 50a to guide a drill stem'or pipe collar into the central opening without catching on the lower end of the hub.

I claim: 1 I 1 Bot drilling apparatus of the character described comprising a stationary base with a central hub having a vertical, central pi '-passing opening therethrough, a rota ta le surrounding said hub with radial bear ings thereon and supported on bearings on the 'base with its upper surface at an elevation above the upper surface of the hub said table having a central opening, and a hold-down ring surrounding and bearing upon the upper .low the level at which the lubricant flows -rotary table including a drive art or as table adjacent its outer eriphery T and connectedwith the stationarybase.

2. Rota drilling apparatus of'thechar- J acter descnbed, comprising a stationary base with a central hub having 'a' vertical central pi e-passing opening therethrough,'a rotary ta le surrounding said hub with radial bear- 5 ing's thereon and supported on bearings on the base with its upper surface at an elevation above the upper surface of the hub, said table having a central opening, the table having in its upper surface and adjacent its outer periphery an annular groove, and a hold-down ring with an annular part entering said groove and bearing upon its bottom and with a part overhanging the outer edge of the table, 4 said hold downjring'being rigidly connected with said basei a 3. Rotary drilling apparatus of the character described, comprising a stationary base with a central hub having a vertical central pipe-passing opening-therethrough, a rotary.

table surrounding said hubv with radial and vertical bearings on the hub and base, said table having a central opening, the table having in its upper surface and adjacent its outer periphery an annular groove, and a hold down ringwith an annular part entering said.

groove and bearing upon 1ts bottom with a part overhanging the outer edge of the table, said hold down ring being rigldly connected with said base.

4. Rotary drilling apparatus of the character described'comprising a stationary base with acentral hub having a vertical, central pipe-passing openingtherethrough, a rotary table surrounding said hub with a radial bearing thereon, means for lubricating said radial bearing, a vertical thrust bearing for-the table upon said base and surroundin the lower part of said hub below the radial aring, said radial and thrust bearings being so relatively arranged that lubricant from the i radial bearing gravitates to the thrust hearing, an outward annular extension of the base forming a lubricant pan outside said thrust bearing and into whichlubricant is adapted to gravitate from the thrust bearing, said pan and the lubricant level therein-hem be om said thrust'bearin and means to drive the pinion dipping into said lubricant pan.' v

5. Rotary drilling apparatus of the character descrlbed comprising a stationary base with a central hub having a vertical, centralpipe-passing o ening therethrough, a rotary table surroun ing said hub with a radial; bearin thereon, means for lubricating'said radial. aring, avertical thrust bearing for the table upon said base and surroundin the lower part of said hub below the radial ari-n said radial and thrust bearings being so reatively arranged that lubricant from the radial bearing gravitates'to the thrust bearing, an outward annular extension of the base forming a, lubricant pan outside said thrust bearing and into which lubricant is adapted to gravitate from the thrust bearing, said pan and the lubricant level therein bem be low the level at which the lubricant OWS from said thrust bearing, means to drive the rotary table including a drive pinion dipping into said lubricant pan, and means for providing a tortuous path for the lubricant between said thrust bearing and the pan.

In Witness that} claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day of September. 1926.

WILLIAM WEBSTER WILSON. 

